On Thursday, our panel of baseball experts tackled 20 questions about the Major League Baseball season. Here, four Blue Jays bloggers put their heads together to answer 10 questions about Toronto’s team.

Callum Hughson fell in love with baseball when he first saw a pitcher rock back and uncoil, and rose with the crowd when the ball was hit deep. He gave himself to something larger, something that might possibly be called beautiful. Woody Allen said it best: You know it doesn’t have to mean anything, it’s just beautiful to watch.

Jose Bautista hits somewhere around 30 home runs, puts up an .840 OPS, and does just enough to not make us regret his five-year, US$65-million contract extension. There will be plenty of time for regrets in 2012.

Ghostrunner on First

Hits 28 home runs while showing the same patient approach that makes him valuable beyond the home runs. Grows a beard that makes Brian Wilson look like a schoolboy.

Mop Up Duty

Although it is not likely Bautista will repeat the success of his 2010 campaign, je can add value by being the rock the team needs him to be on and off the field. With the departure of Vernon Wells, he needs to assume a vocal leadership role to help acclimate the “kids” to all aspects of major-league life.

Tao of Stieb

For some reason, I keep envisioning a Ryan Braun season, which means he’d “regress” to about 35 homers, 115 RBI, and a .915 OPS.

2. Who is the Jay most likely to have a breakthrough or breakout season?

Getting Blanked

If you set the innings pitched minimum to 140, Brandon Morrow’s strikeout rate of 10.95 per nine innings was the best in Major League Baseball last season. Tim Lincecum’s 9.79 was second. If Morrow doesn’t finish the season as the Jays’ best pitcher, it will mean Ricky Romero had a very good year.

Ghostrunner on First

Health is the only thing standing between Travis Snider and the glimpses of amazing talent he shows when given the chance.

Mop Up Duty

Rajai Davis was quoted as saying, “I’ve always had power but [hitting coach] Dwayne Murphy has taught me how to use it.” The last time I heard those words: Jose Bautista, prior to his monster 2010 season. Davis won’t come near Bautista’s numbers, but his offensive game will mature by leaps and bounds.

Tao of Stieb

Travis Snider. I think this is the first year where the team is prepared to treat him like a big leaguer, and not bury him in the lineup, on the bench or in the minors. He’ll reward them handsomely.

3. Who else might be a pleasant surprise?

Getting Blanked

Edwin Encarnacion had left wrist surgery two years ago and finally started to show signs of a full recovery after a trip to the DL near the end of last season. Look for him to pick up where he left off at the plate, and continue a marked improvement defensively.

Ghostrunner on First

Marc Rzepczynski. I love what he does on the mound and hope he gets another chance to start. Barring that, he has a great chance to fill the “Scott Downs role” in the bullpen — another way of saying the pitcher called upon to record the most important outs.

Mop Up Duty

Kyle Drabek will contribute meaningful innings to the rotation before he reaches his pre-determined innings limit and his inevitable shutdown. There will be growing pains along the way, but flashes of brilliance too.

Tao of Stieb

Jo-Jo Reyes is more than a depth arm, more than a chuck-and-ducker. He’ll be with the team all year, and will be a part of the team that fans are relieved to have on hand. It’s the Summer of Jo-Jo.

4. Who do you expect to be the biggest flop?

Getting Blanked

The Octavio Dotel signing made no sense to me when it happened, and it made even less after the Jays acquired Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco. Left-handed batters averaged a .993 OPS against the right-handed Dotel last year. Jose Bautista had 2010’s fifth highest OPS in baseball at .995.

Ghostrunner on First

The army of aging right-handed bullpen arms. I recognize Alex Anthopoulos’ interest in exploiting the antiquated free agent compensation system, but this is one uninspiring bunch of hurlers — and none are much better than incumbents Jason Frasor and Shawn Camp

Mop Up Duty

Carlos Villanueva. I just don’t think he has enough stuff or consistency to compete in the dogfight that is the AL East.

Tao of Stieb

I’m not one to toss negative thoughts out into the universe, lest there be something out there listening. So let me pick an easy target: Scott Podsednik. He won’t get more than 50 at bats with the Jays this year.

5. Who is the better candidate for a bounce-back season: Aaron Hill or Adam Lind?

Getting Blanked

Lind. He is at his best when he takes a patient approach, not necessarily a virtue under Cito Gaston. He swung at exactly half the pitches he saw last year, including 35% outside the strike zone. In his most successful year, he swung at fewer than 44% of all pitches, and 25% outside the strike zone.

Ghostrunner on First

Lind, a good hitter who got away from what he does best. Hill, a mess at the plate last year, doesn’t have Lind’s history of success or the opposite field power swing to fall back on.

Mop Up Duty

Lind. I think he has a better mental approach to failure while Hill’s slumps snowball into a tailspin of misery due to the fact that he is so hard on himself.

Tao of Stieb

Both of them were awful, so it’s hard to choose between them. I think Hill has the more profound hole from which to extricate himself. Lind’s season will be challenge, and there will be plenty of awkward-looking non-scoops at first this year, but he’ll be a better all-around player for the experience.

6. Will Toronto’s young rotation improve this year or take a step back?

Getting Blanked

History would suggest Romero, Morrow and Cecil all regress slightly, but I think Morrow’s development is something special. The peak age for a pitcher is thought to be 27; both Romero and Morrow are 26, Cecil is 24. The rotation is in good shape for the future.

Ghostrunner on First

Morrow’s juicy peripherals will fall in line with his traditional pitching stats, Cecil will fall back to Earth and Romero will continue being Romero. They won’t all take a leap forward, but I can’t see them tumbling to the ordinary either.

Mop Up Duty

I expect similar results. Romero will be more consistent and Morrow will take a step forward. His improvement and the insertion of Kyle Drabek makes up for the loss of Shaun Marcum.

Tao of Stieb

I can see this being an area where the team struggles. I’m feeling uneasy about Romero’s and Cecil’s performances in the fake games. I think Morrow will closer to “ace” territory and Drabek will be fine. Also, it is the Summer of Jo-Jo.

7. Who is your closer? And if he falters, who takes over the role?

Getting Blanked

I think it’s foolish to pigeonhole your best reliever into one role, but I suppose I’d go with the one who can pitch equally well to both right-handed and left-handed batters — Frank Francisco.

Ghostrunner on First

Francisco, I suppose. When healthy he has the best stuff. Jon Rauch or Jason Frasor can step in while he’s injured — more likely Rauch because he is taller and more intimidating. People love crap like that, even though Rauch and Frasor are basically the same pitcher.

Mop Up Duty

Francisco has the best stuff and has proven he can do the job. Should he falter, it has to be Jon Rauch The tall right-hander’s ability to get lefties out is what gives him the edge over the diminishing returns of Dotel.

Tao of Stieb

Health permitting, I like Francisco Should his injury take a while to settle itself, I don’t mind Rauch. It would be nice to see the Jays minimize the closer role and focus on the best matchups, but that might be a tall order.

8. When does Brett Lawrie force his way into the lineup?

Getting Blanked

If the Blue Jays are smart they’ll do what the Tampa Bay Rays did with Evan Longoria and not play Lawrie until half way through April of 2012, so that they can push his eventual free agency back another year. Unfortunately, I feel as though fan pressure and managerial sway might see him reach the lineup in September.

Ghostrunner on First

In a perfect world: September. There is no reason to bring him up now unless he dominates Triple-A in a real way, not in a “look at his numbers in the offensive-bonkers Pacific Coast League!” .

Mop Up Duty

I don’t foresee Lawrie joining the big club any earlier than September. He destroyed (minor-league) pitching in spring training, but the nuances of third base cannot be mastered over five weeks in Dunedin.

Tao of Stieb

Lawrie didn’t exactly tear Double-A apart last season, so I think the Jays will try to keep him in Vegas and let him tear up the PCL and get his reps in at third base. I’d put my money on a September call-up.

9. What other prospects are you waiting to see?

Getting Blanked

I think Eric Thames is going to have a great year in Las Vegas and he could make the Jays regret giving Bautista that long-term deal and locking up a corner outfield position. It will be interesting to see how Adeiny Hechavarria, Travis D’Arnaud, Carlos Perez and Aaron Sanchez all perform this year.

Ghostrunner on First

D’Arnaud. Both he and Perez are exciting catching prospects but, then again, aren’t they all? Henderson Alverez is another interesting player.

Mop Up Duty

There’s little that excites me more than seeing a sparkling defensive play (plus some showmanship and swagger), so I look forward to seeing Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria up with the big club, though I doubt it will be this season.

Tao of Stieb

I think Hechavarria is a year away, but I’ll be interested to see how he advances. Also, Alvarez struggled a bit in the transition from low-A to high-A last year, but I’ll still be keeping an eye on his boxscores to see if he keeps runners off base.

10. What will the Jays’ record be?

Getting Blanked

The Blue Jays will finish below .500, and likely fourth in the AL East. There will be much rending of garments, but it’s all okay. This is what happens when you want to find sustainable success. Sometimes you’ve gotta take a step back in order to take two forward — there’s a lot of brightness to the future ahead.

Ghostrunner on First

77-85. If they’re lucky.

Mop Up Duty

81-81. The Jays are a similar team to what they were last year. But the improvement of Boston and the overachieving Orioles under Buck Showalter will make it a dogfight for the Jays in the AL East. A small step back in 2011, a giant leap in 2012 and beyond.

Tao of Stieb

The Jays were exceptionally fortunate last year when it came to injuries, and it seems unlikely to go two years in a row with that little time missed by key contributors. So I’d conservatively guess a modest step back to 81 wins, and a fourth-place finish ahead of the Orioles. Though a 90-win season doesn’t seem totally beyond the realm of possibility.

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By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.